


Leverageland Challenges

by k3nj1ph1



Category: Leverage
Genre: Eliot Parker Hardison Friendship, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-17
Updated: 2015-02-17
Packaged: 2018-03-13 11:10:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 6,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3379343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/k3nj1ph1/pseuds/k3nj1ph1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I'm collecting all the fics I've written for Leverageland over on Livejournal. </p><p> </p><p>http://leverageland.livejournal.com/</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Pain in the Mind

I'm gonna fight 'em off  
A seven nation army couldn't hold me back

Night after night Eliot spends his time in the cage, beating each man to a bloody pulp, just shy of their last breath, just until the give in and give up. Each and every time he sees one thing in each pompous face, he sees Sam Ford, given up on and not allowed to live thanks to Nate’s boss. He fights for the little boy that didn’t get a chance to live, over and over again, and each night he goes home sore, tired and feeling as though he did justice by kicking each man’s ass, his anger at I.Y.S. Insurance bleeding out of him with every hit, kick and punch he delivers. Eliot always feels better working with his hands. 

They're gonna rip it off  
Taking their time right behind my back  
And I'm talkin' to myself at night  
Because I can't forget  
Back and forth through my mind  
Behind a cigarette

Parker was always a loner, never had a family other than Archie, but even then she knew how to survive without anyone else. She knew how to be on her own. Then she met Nathan Ford, and his merry team of loners. Five years later Nate and Sophie are gone, touring the world, settling down and living life with each other. Parker now runs Leverage, with the help of Hardison and Eliot. She never thought she’d grow up to be this responsible, but she has and she loves it. Life is about more than money and shiny things. Life is now about keeping herself and her family alive, and righting the wrongs in this world. What started with payback for hurting Sam Ford, has grown into payback for life and the world and pompous jerks screwing the little guys. Parker has grown to realize that in the beginning, when she was twenty pounds of crazy in that shiny five pound bag, they all talked about her, how crazy she was. Now, when they talk about her it’s about how grown up she’s become, how they can trust her and how she is theirs. 

And the message comin' from my eyes says leave it alone...

Don't wanna hear about it  
Every single one's got a story to tell  
Everyone knows about it  
Maggie never wanted to hear about how I.Y.S. Insurance screwed over her family, ripped her so from her, took her husband away from her and ruined her marriage. That’s why Nate never told her until he absolutely had to. Maggie was happy, then Nate brought her world crashing down around her, and made her realize that James Sterling was nothing but a lying sack of crap. Maggie saw red, and instead of being the weak female that she could have, she became an angry hell bent on revenge mother. I.Y.S. Insurance and James Sterling never knew what happened the day Maggie Ford got her revenge on them. 

From the Queen of England to the hounds of hell  
And if I catch it comin' back my way  
I'm gonna serve it to you  
And that ain't what you want to hear  
But that's what I'll do

James Sterling thought he saw it all, a Grifter posing as royalty, a Mastermind that he use to be friends with, a Hitter who hated guns, a Hacker who could never be caught, and an insane Thief who was tamed by a crew of insane people. Unfortunately he was wrong. Hell hath no fury like that of a mother scorned. The day Maggie Collins found out what I.Y.S. Insurance did to her family was the day he saw a beautiful woman turn into a hell hound and come after him unleashed. He never realized how easy it was to deal with Nate Ford and his merry band of misfits, until he had Maggie Collins coming after him, and damn could that woman hit. 

And the feeling coming from my bones says find a home...

After his Nana died Hardison didn’t think he’d ever find a permanent home again. Then Nathan Ford came to him for one job, that turned into two, turned into three, so on and so forth. One year turned into two, turned into five and one day Hardison realized he found his family, he had a home. He could stop looking. He had the love of his life, parents, and an older brother who would kick his ass any day of the week, and twice on Sundays, as well as anyone that messed with him. That unsettled feeling in his bones was finally gone, and that was alright with him. 

I'm going to Wichita  
Far from this opera forevermore  
I'm gonna work the straw  
Make the sweat drip out of every pore

 

Everything Nathan Ford did was for Sam. After five years though he was tired and he wanted something else in his life. He worked up the nerve to do the right thing, and he and Sophie left the world of Grifting behind and settled down. He still stayed in touch with the team, even after all these years, and he was always pleased to read about their meddling and righting of this world. He never wanted to go back to that world again, and so he stayed out on his boat, with his wife, and was glad that the only thing he sweated over these days was where they were going to eat dinner that night. 

 

And I'm bleeding, and I'm bleeding, and I'm bleeding  
Right before the lord  
All the words are gonna bleed from me  
And I will think no more

And the stains comin' from my blood tell me "Go back home"...

His break was over, it was time to go back home, go back to the two crazy kids that he worked with, to right the wrongs of this world, and to keep them out of trouble. His fists were raw and sore, but he was at peace once again. Eliot was ready to be the Hitter again, the savior, the peacekeeper. He was ready to give those in need some Leverage.


	2. The Short Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nate and Sophie leave the team ...

“Do you ever think that will be us someday?” The keen-eyed blonde asked Hardison as she watched Nate and Sophie climb into the back of a Lincoln town car headed for their romantic honeymoon getaway. 

“What? Married, settled down, and out of the game forever?” he answered back. 

Parker contemplated that for a moment, biting her bottom lip as she gave careful thought to the answer. “I don’t think that they’ll be out of the game forever. Nate worries too much about us, Sophie isn’t good at staying still for too long, and I bet you that they already have a way of watching over us in place. As for us, it’s in our blood, Hardison, but we hack and steal for the good guy, that’s hard to let go.” Her answer was sincere, softly-spoken, and truthful and she knew that Hardison agreed with her. “I don’t ever see us not helping those that are in need.” 

Hardison’s chuckle was the only answer she needed as the car drove away with Nate and Sophie in it, the soft intake of breath alerted her to his next thought. “You know when Sophie hugged me before leaving she said to me, this isn’t goodbye, it’s see you soon. Goodbye is forever; this is temporary.” The Hacker wiped a tear away as he turned to look at Parker. 

Parker responded with a smile and a knowing look in her eyes.


	3. Time is on her Side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nerves rattle her on the day her life changes forever

Time. Time is something she knew all about. Time is something she wish she had more of. 

Four hours and twenty three minutes left. 

Too many people are around her. She can’t tune them out, can’t focus and can’t escape. She takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself the way she was taught, deep breaths, in for a beat, out on the next. 

Four hours and twenty minutes left. 

People are still buzzing around, still driving her up the wall, she wishes she could hide. Wishes she could calm herself down further, but everyone is fussing about her, fussing to make sure she looks the part. 

Three hours and forty minutes left. 

Finally it’s time for her to go to the next stage, where hopefully she can see those that calm her down the best. She gets into the early model antique car, settles into the back seat and sees the two girls she’s grown to respect and trust. They shoot her bright smiles, hand her a mimosa, and give her sympathetic looks. They’ve both been through this before. 

Three hours left. 

 

They arrive together at the final spot, where they’ll all eventually meet up in several hours. Her nerves ratchet up more when she sees where it will all happen, her two friends dragging her along gently to the back door, saying that they must not see the boys. 

Two hours and fifty minutes left. 

Sequestered in a back room she starts the last of her preparations, her hair is done, make up is minimal but suited for what will happen in a few hours. Now all she has to do is wait, and waiting is something she can do well. 

Thirty minutes left. 

She is gently awoken from the slight trance she was in, her nerves calm, her breathing slow and easy, and she finally feels ready to do this. Nodding at the other two women in the room with her she gets up and gets dressed, donning something traditional and not really like her normal clothing, but perfect for her all the same. 

Five minutes left. 

She is ushered out of the room, down a hall and to the front of the building. Her two friends go in a head of her, leaving her with Nate, who tears up when he sees how beautiful she is. She takes his offered arm and the church doors open, showing the beautiful alter, with her soon to be husband waiting with baited breath and anticipation in his eyes. Eliot smiles standing as the best man behind her fiancé, with Sophie and Tara on the other side as her matrons of honor. Nate will join Eliot as the other best man once he’s done walking Parker down the aisle. 

The time is now, she must start walking, and she finds no trouble in putting one foot in front of another, for even though this is no heist, her nerves are calm, she knows what she wants, and she is walking towards it now that the time has come. Time is always on her side, and she’s looking forward to spending the rest of it as Mrs. Hardison.


	4. Ice Cold Revenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can Hardison do it?

It's been a while since he's felt this way. In fact it hasn't been since they pulled him from the ground, gasping for breath, tears streaming down his face, his family's faces flashing through his brain. He can't move, can't breathe, his vision is starting to blur and the note in his hand is moving so violently that he can't make out a single word. 

He's read the note over and over again, he knows it by heart, but the words don't make sense even now. How could it be possible? How could the man that brought them together, the man that they thought was dead, take those that mean the most to him? 

The note tells him that he has to make a choice, he can only save one, and he has to make it soon. He can't make that choice, not like this, not with the arctic cold chill passing through his body, his hands a sweaty mess, blurring the words even more, and the way his stomach is clenching around the emptiness of itself. His throat seemingly closing up more and more as the seconds tick by, his body aching with the lack of oxygen he can’t seem to pull in. His eyes hurting with the pain of tears pouring out. 

His legs turned to jelly an hour ago, and he wisely sat down at his command station, but his mind won't let him ration out what he needs to do. All he can think about is death and how the one he saves will resent him for not saving the others. He can’t see through the fog that his brain is in.

His mind thinks about each person he has to save, what they would do, what they would want him to do, and it's when he thinks of Parker that the fear in his mind starts to clear. It takes a while, but he keeps thinking as the fog and the fear retreat enough to let him get to work. He knows it's not enough, not until he has each and every one of his family members home, safe, where he can see them, hear them, and touch them, feel solidness beneath his fingers, know that he’s not dreaming. 

Until that time, he will push the fear to the back of his mind, and do what he does best, hack his family back home, and together they can make Victor Dubenich pay for the fear he instilled in all of them.


	5. Leave Me Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliot is annoyed. 
> 
> (Warning: Eliot is extremely annoyed. The challenge was to write a fic using only dialogue.)

“Did you get it?"

“Yes!” 

“Where is it?” 

“It’s in the bag with the rest of the stuff, now calm down.” 

“Which bag?” 

“That one over there, now stop asking.” 

“I don’t see it, are you sure you got it? This has to be perfect.” 

“It will be, don’t worry, now stop bugging me and go sit over there, away from me.” 

“I need to see it, please?” 

“NO!” 

“C’mon!” 

“No” 

“Why not?”

“Because you’re annoying me.” 

“Well that’s not fair. It’s mine anyway.” 

“I don’t care. Leave me alone and I’ll show it to you in a bit.” 

“When?” 

“In.A.WHILE. Stop bugging me before I slam you into a wall.” 

“Fine.” 

“Good.” 

“Is it later? “ 

“NO!” 

“Now? “ 

“DAMN IT! NO!” 

“When’s it later?” 

“Not now. Not two seconds ago or five minutes ago or five minutes in the future. Now stop asking and go do your job, or something. Just get out of my hair!” 

“Geez, you don’t have to be so cranky.” 

“WOULD. YOU. JUST. GET. OUT. OF. HERE?!”


	6. First Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliot's first time meeting Nathan Ford.

The first time that Eliot met Nathan Ford was not when Nate remembers it. The first time was at the hospital, when Nate was there with Sam, not the day his son died though. 

Eliot had been shot, bad enough to actually warrant a hospital visit. He was just checking out, being pushed by a gorgeous leggy blond nurse named Babbett, when Nate walked into his path. They said their pardons, and that's when he noticed the shy, sweet, quiet boy in Nate's arms. He was thin and ill, but when Eliot said hello the boy smiled and crooked a finger into a wave. 

Eliot had no way of knowing that it was the first and last time he'd meet Sam Ford, but not the last time he'd meet Nate Ford, world renowned Mastermind.  
(Frozen) (Thread)


	7. Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Parker likes fall.

32\. Fall 

“Isn’t this the best season ever?” Parker was running ahead of Eliot and Hardison, kicking her feet through the fallen leaves and then running back again to them. “I mean the crisp air, the leaves turning and then falling. The soft pitter patter of rain and the overall clean scent of everything.” 

Hardison chuckled to himself and Eliot rolled his eyes at the thief. 

“Eliot, this is the time when you can make all those squash dishes, and I’ll actually eat them. OH oh oh! Your pumpkin soup too! I love your pumpkin soup. And your pumpkin pie is the best too. Will you make a pie tonight? Please? I Love fall!” Parker ran off before she could get an answer.


	8. Rope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Parker loves proving people wrong.

(Beginning scene from Boondock Saints movie)

“Do ya know what we need, man? Some rope.  
Absolutely. What are ya, insane?  
No I ain't. Charlie Bronson's always got rope.  
What?  
Yeah. He's got a lot of rope strapped around him in the movies, and they always end up using it.  
You've lost it, haven't ya?  
No, I'm serious.  
Me too. That's stupid. Name one thing you gonna need a rope for.  
You don't fuckin' know what you're gonna need it for. They just always need it.  
What's this 'they' shit? This isn't a movie.  
Oh, right.  
Is that right, Rambo?  
All right. Get your stupid fuckin' rope.  
I'll get my stupid rope. I'll get it. This is a rope right here.

“OH no!” 

“Oh, Yes!” 

“No! No! No!” 

“Yup!” 

“You let her watch that movie AGAIN?” 

“Yup, she wanted to. I didn’t force it. She loves this scene. She also loves to prove how wrong those Irish Saints are when it comes to the whole rope theory!” 

“Parker don’t climb into the air ducts you don’t need to prove them wrong. We know they’re wrong.” Hardison ran out to the living room in time to see Parker crashing through the ceiling and landing safely on the couch. 

“DAMNIT ELIOT SPENCER, I’LL GET YOU FOR THIS!” Hardison’s angry shout came ringing through the headquarters.


	9. India

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Parker recounts the past.

“Remember that one time we did that con with Mumbai Industries?” Parker was in a reminiscing mood. 

Hardison laughed and looked at Eliot. “Remember your friend that came and did the fake meeting, totally passed for being from India. Then when the camera’s were off and we actually got to talk to him he was from Ireland! That was a hoot.” 

Eliot raised an eyebrow at Hardison, then turned and looked at Parker. “What made you think of that?” 

Parker grinned, “You’re making Indian food, and I guess I was just thinking of some of our earlier jobs together. You put two and two together and you get four!” Her glee was contagious and the rest of the team smiled. 

“Alright, that makes sense. C’mon and dish up your food and let’s eat.” Eliot started the dishing up of his own plate thus ending the conversation.


	10. Frogs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Parker doesn't like frogs.

Nate was awoken rudely by an ear piercing scream from somewhere in the office, he had been trying to nap. They had just gotten back a few hours ago, put their gear away and then Eliot went into the kitchen to decompress by cooking. He knew Sophie was napping upstairs on pull out couch, and he knew for certain that Hardison was playing a game on his computer. 

That left one person who could have shrieked like that, and that would be the same person that was currently perched on the back of the couch that Nate was sleeping on. 

“Parker, what the hell is wrong with you? I’m trying to sleep!” Nate growled well enough to even impress Eliot, had he been in the room. 

“It’s there it’s on your chest!” Parker pointed and shrieked again. 

Nate looked down and saw a baby frog asleep on his chest. He picked it up and went to the foyer where there was a frog aquarium and put the baby frog in it. 

Parker ran up behind Nate and wrapped her arms around him from behind. “My hero!”


	11. Plague

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The men come down with the plague.

“Aaaaaachooooo!” Went Eliot. 

“Bless you.” Said Hardison. 

Nate walked into the room hacking up a lung like an eighty year old man who had smoked for seventy five years.   
“Dang, Nate, you sound horrible.” Eliot remarked, punctuating his observation with a round of sneezes followed by several hacking coughs. 

“You don’t sound any better than I do, Eliot.” Grumbled Nate. 

“Achoo.” Added Hardison, who then immediately started coughing worse than the other two men. 

Parker heard all this going on from the living room. “Sophie! Let’s get out of here before we both get the plague from the boys. Plus I don’t want to hear their whining!” 

Sophie ran down the stairs and out the door with Parker before the boys could say anything.


	12. Shadow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliot is being followed.

Eliot knew he was being followed, the person kept throwing shadows on to the ground in front of the hitter, he didn’t really care, other than the fact that he was trying to be alone and have time to himself. 

By the sounds of the steps that the person wasn’t taking care to cover up, he figured it was a small female, light on their feet for the most part. Eliot continued to walk towards his destination and even slowed down to let his creeper catch up.

At the last minute, right before he got to where he was going, he turned around and caught Parker by the arm, the amused smile on her face let him know that she wasn’t trying to cover up her following him.


	13. Belief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliot has a heart to heart with Parker.

“Is your belief in yourself that small?” Eliot asked Parker. 

“I believe that I can do the job, that the safe will crack for me, that I can run a heist or a job as smoothly as Nate did, but this,” She ran a hand over her swollen belly, “This, Eliot, I can’t do this. I’m going to fail this baby. This little life inside of me. Hardison thinks it’s the hormones talking, but I know that it isn’t.” 

“Parker, remember that con we ran with the children being adopted?” 

The blond nodded her head, “What about it?” 

“Remember how you risked your life for children you had met one time?” 

“Yeah, so?” 

“What makes you think that you won’t do that over and over again for your own child? So far during this pregnancy you’ve been amazing. You’ve taken such amazing care of yourself, you’ve stopped going in the field unless you’re sure you can be safe, and you’ve even stopped playing in the harnesses. You’re going to be a great mother. I believe in you and so does Hardison. Now you just have to hold your own belief in yourself. Okay?” 

By now Parker was crying and her head was on Eliot’s shoulder, she merely nodded in response, which earned her a kiss from Eliot to her hair.


	14. Erased

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tech fails and Hardison freaks.

“No! No no no no no!” Hardison was screeching at his computers. 

“What’s wrong, Hardison?” Nate’s worried voice came over the comms to the resident hacker. 

“My computer’s are going hay wire, I’m trying to shut them down to keep them from erasing all the data. There must have been some kind of super virus in the data we got. This is not suppose to happen. I have the best protection that can be made. You can’t buy this kind of protection.” Hardison’s voice was getting more and more frantic as he talked. 

“Everyone pull out and get back to headquarters. WE need to make sure our covers aren’t blown. Hardison, do what you can to save everything, we’ll see you in twenty minutes. “ With that Nate killed his comm.


	15. Technology

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hardison is important to the team.

Having the number one hacker in the United States working for Leverage, Inc. was the best move Nate could have made. He was mediocre at working all the new fangled technology, but Hardison was always patient with teaching him how to use it. The good thing is that they had enough money to buy multiple pieces of whatever technology they needed, at any time. 

Nate was truly bad with most technology, but Eliot was the worst. He preferred to bang around on things, where as Hardison would caress it and treat it like a new born infant. Through the years though, Eliot learned to soften his touch, and he was able to control the technology much better. 

Sophie and Parker just had to be shown once how to work a new piece of technology and they were off to a running start with whatever it was. Hardison was a good teacher for them. 

All in all, Hardison was a very important member of the team.


	16. Lying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grifting, acting, lying, it's all the same.

47\. Lying 

To be a Grifter you have to be good at stretching the truth a bit. Some would call that lying, Sophie calls it acting. Her “lies” don’t necessarily hurt those that don’t deserve, and she knows it and so does the rest of the team. She’s never been caught in a grift that she can’t get out of, and it’s because she’s learned to keep all her stories straight in her head. Her favorite grift was when she died after her apartment exploded, that was a fun one. She’s been called a thief, a Grifter, and a liar, but anyway you write it, whatever you call her, she knows she’s damned good at her job.


	17. Violence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violence isn't always a bad thing.

People that say violence never solve anything are full of crap. Violence has solved anger issues, stress, tension, and has even saved Eliot’s life a few times. So yeah, violence isn’t always a bad thing. 

If Eliot didn’t have a way to let tension and stress out he’d hurt those around him with words and actions. He’d never physically hurt his family, but he would shout and growl and storm away from them. 

By him knowing how to use violence to defend himself he’s saved himself and countless others from the bad guys. He’s not sure how people can see that as a bad thing, but people do. 

Because of the violence inside of him he’s actually the most zen of the whole team, and he wouldn’t change that for a second.


	18. Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hardison gets the best news ever.

Parker couldn’t help but giggle as she pulled each piece of clothing out of her shopping bag and laid them out on the bed. She made sure to set up a camera so that she could catch Hardison’s reaction when he saw the clothing. She didn’t know if she was having a boy or a girl, so she got neutral colors. She pulled out a little yellow onsies and felt the tears of joy gather in her eyes. She was so overwhelmed with emotions that she didn’t hear Hardison come up behind her. It wasn’t until she heard him gasp that she turned around and saw the tears falling from his eyes. 

“You’re pregnant?” He asked. 

She nodded in response and Hardison kissed her silly.


	19. Drabbles upon Drabbles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I did a lot of drabbles for a team challenge. Too many to keep posting individually. So I'm going to lump them all together. Ignore the numbers ...

52\. Negative 

 

“Eliot, why are you always so negative about my ideas?” Asked Parker. 

“I’m not always negative about your ideas, it’s only when they involve lots of sugar and death defying stunts that I’m not such a fan of them.” Eliot responded patiently as he cut up veggies for the stew he was making. 

“Well then why won’t you come with Hardison and I to Jamaica next month?” 

“Parker, there’s a very good reason for that, and I still don’t believe that Hardison even wants me there.” 

“El, tell me why and I’ll drop the subject, I promise.” Parker pleaded with her friend. 

“Because it’s your honeymoon, Parker, and you’re going to be all moon eyed and twitterpatted and I don’t need to be the third wheel for that one.” Eliot explained to her patiently. 

“Oh!” exclaimed Parker, “That makes total sense now.” 

53\. Together 

“We’re going to be together forever, aren’t we?” Parker’s innocent question surprised even Nate, who didn’t think he could be surprised by the thief anymore. 

“Well, until one of us dies, but yeah, we’ll always be together, we’ve been a team for this long, there’s no way we’d split up now.” Shockingly that came from Eliot. 

“Good.” Parker smiled at the hitter. 

“For as long as I’m alive, I’m planning on being around you guys.” Hardison chimed in from across the room. 

“Good, I like that. Nate and I definitely plan on being around you guys for as long as you’ll let us.” Sophie was always speaking of she and Nate as one entity. 

“Good because families should always stick together.” Said Parker.

 

54\. Power

The true power of the team was in their bond that they had with each other. They worked well together, like a well choreographed and practiced dance. Even when one member was down, they could stop and pick them up, carry their weight, and keep on dancing flawlessly. 

If they didn’t work together like a well oiled machine they wouldn’t be able to do all the heists and jobs they did so well. They wouldn’t have the power that unity allows to be so successful and to be willing to save each other’s butts when necessary. They would never give up the power they had, to anyone, not ever. 

 

55\. Distress 

“Why did he have to die so young?” 

“I don’t know, I guess it was his time is all.” 

“But I was just starting to like him, he wasn’t half bad of a person.” 

“I know, Parker, but we can’t predict when people are going to die. I didn’t know when Sam was going to die, and despite the pain and distress it caused me I’m a better person for it.” 

“How did you get over Sam’s death?” 

“I never did, Parker, I never did. I just picked up the pieces, made my amends and started doing good with my life.” 

56\. Fortune

Parker had millions stashed away all over the place. Some of it was in currency, others of it was in jewels and bobbles and artwork. Her fortune was probably second only to Sophie’s, being that the Grifter had several homes and mansions all over the place. 

She always knew she was wealthy, but it took her a long time to realize that all the jewels in the world meant nothing if you didn’t have someone to share them with. No, her money and prize possessions didn’t make her the richest women in the world, her family and friends did that. They were her true fortune. 

 

27\. Stool 

“Parker hand me that …” Nate snapped his fingers and pointed at something in a general direction, “…thing.” 

“Which thing, Nate?” They were all tired and cranky having been up the past seventy two hours straight. 

“That thing over there. It’s small, and um, green.” 

“The lime on the counter? I think Eliot’s using it to cook.” 

“Parker, I’m not cooking right now, I’m sitting here on the soft squishy long thing.” 

“No, Eliot, oh you are on the couch thing. So you want something, Nate? You want the small green thing?” 

Nate nodded, which started him swaying. 

“Nate! Sit down before you fall over. “ Parker’s voice carried a lot of worry. 

“I’m trying, I need that thing to sit on, Parker. It’s right next to you!” Nate said. 

“OH! the stool!” Said Parker. “Here you go!” She pushed it towards Nate who grabbed it and sat down with a happy sigh. 

 

28\. Broken

“I didn’t do it!” Yelled Hardison

“I have no idea how that happened.” Retorted Parker. 

“Nate’s going to be so pissed at you all!” Shouted Sophie. 

“What the hell?” Eliot growled. 

“Parker did it!” Spouted Sophie. 

“Did not!” Yelled the thief. 

“Hardison probably did it!” Stated Eliot. 

“UGH! Why does everyone always blame me? I didn’t do it!” Hollered Hardison. 

“Well then how did the picture of Old Nate get broken? I mean there’s a huge head sized hole in it.” Eliot was asking a good question and stating the obvious. 

All the sudden a moan of pain came from behind the desk and all four adults ran around to find Sterling and Nate passed out on the floor. 

“Well I guess that answers that question.” Laughed the team. 

 

29\. Yesterday 

Everything was so different back then. No one could stand each other, they didn’t get along and yet they could do a job perfectly. They all tried to walk away time after time. It wasn’t until Hardison was buried underground that they started to get along better. That seemed just like yesterday, but it was a decade ago. They had grown up together, matured, retired, had families, come back to do good for people, and retired again. Parker and Hardison were expecting their first any day now. Eliot was even married. Nate and Sophie occasionally came back to help on certain cases. Yesterday was full of fond memories, but it was time to live in the present. 

 

30\. Gift

“This is just a small token of appreciation from the team to you, Sophie.” Hardison handed Sophie a largely wrapped gift. 

“A small token?” Sophie said with a raised eyebrow. 

“Well, yes, a small token.” Hardison answered. 

“Seriously? Hardison, man, she’s going to think we’re insane.” Eliot growled. 

“Now I’m really curious to see what you got me.” Sophie’s excitement was evident in her voice as she ripped the wrapping paper off her present. 

Each of the team members were waiting for her reaction when Nate wandered in and wandered right back out laughing semi quietly to himself. 

“Oh my god! Hardison!” Sophie’s voice was not amused anymore as she looked over her very own portrait of Old Sophie, to go with Old Nate. 

 

31\. Super 

“What’s that?” 

“I dunno, it’s Eliot’s and I don’t want to know.” 

“Ewww, that thing is creepy looking.” 

“It smells strange too.” 

“Poke it.” 

“Don’t touch it, you might die.” 

“It could give you a disease.”

“Where’s Eliot? Let’s ask him.” 

“Let’s ask Eliot, what?” 

Four people squeaked as the Hitter snuck up on them. 

“Eliot, what the hell is that thing?” Sophie asked the Hitter. 

“That, thing as you call it, is a Super Fruit, it’s healthy and delicious and I’m about to make a smoothie with it. So all of you back away and leave my fruit alone.” 

 

34\. Kitchen 

 

“Stay out of my kitchen!” Eliot’s voice was a decibel below roaring. 

“But I just wanted to get an apple, you’re always telling me to eat more fruit, Eliot!” Parker’s whine was heard through the entire office and Eliot growled at her.

“Not when I’m cooking, and not when I’m making an apple pie for everyone, Parker. Here have a banana instead.” Eliot held out a banana, ripened just the way he knew she liked it, to the thief, who didn’t take it.

“Yeah, I’ll just wait for the pie.” Parker sauntered out of the kitchen and out of Eliot’s angry sight. 

 

35\. Boredom 

 

A bored Parker is a dangerous Parker. It was a good thing the team never knew all the antics she got up to when they went on a heist out of the country without her. If they had known they wouldn’t have left her behind again. It wasn’t her fault that she got bronchitis and couldn’t go on a plane. It wasn’t like she had Ebola or the plague, she just had bron-freaking-chitis. 

When she wasn’t sleeping she was rearranging Sophie’s closet, Nate’s desk, Eliot’s kitchen, and Hardison’s computer desktops. She knew they’d be pissed, but they shouldn’t have left her home and gone on a mission that could have waited. A Parker full of boredom was a very dangerous thing indeed. 

 

36\. Latitude

 

“Which way are we going?” Hardison kept flipping the map around. 

“West, Hardison, can’t you read a map?” Eliot was getting pissed off at the hacker. 

“Nope, not really. I’m use to my GPS devices, but there’s no signal out here. SO where are we going?” 

“We’re going due West, thirty clicks, then due South six clicks, then west again for one click.” 

“Eliot, why couldn’t we have driven, at least then I could have put the coordinates in and we’d be there sooner.” Hardison whined to the hitter. 

“I’m going to strangle you with that map, then we won’t know Longitude from Latitude, from North, from West, from South, from East. Just shut up and follow me, Damnit Hardison!” 

37\. Flag

Every single morning Eliot would go out front of his farm house and raise the American flag. He would then go back inside and put the coffee on, make some breakfast and take it all out front to his covered porch. He would sit and reflect on the flag, flying proud and high on the days that there was some wind. Many people have died for that flag, and he thought about those he served with. Every single morning, unless it was raining or snowing, he would take the time to reflect upon those lives given for that flag and his heart would swell with honor that he lived in a place that he could fly the flag freely. 

 

38\. Ice 

“It’s freezing out here. I can’t see where I’m going.” Sophie’s clipped accent was patchy through the communication units. 

“Sophie, shut up and put your bandana up and hold onto Parker.” Eliot was extremely grouchy and his growled out words only proved that further. 

“Eliot, don’t move so fast, I keep slipping and sliding on the ice.” The usually nimble thief was slipping and sliding everywhere. 

“Nate, can you get everyone to just shut up and be quiet. You know what Hardison, shut the comms off. I’m sick of hearing everyone complain. We’re almost home, it’s not my fault someone didn’t put gas in the car.” Eliot kept going ignoring everyone’s complaints and promptly slipped on a patch of ice and went down, pulling the entire team with him. 

 

39\. Genie 

 

“Three wishes, I’ll grant you three wishes if you let me out of my lamp and release me from my services.” 

“Oh god, you didn’t, Hardison!” Eliot turned around slowly and burst out laughing. “Dude, you’re BLUE!” 

“Would you like me to grant you a wish, my friend?” Hardison-Genie asked Eliot, entirely seriously. 

“No, but I do want to get everyone’s reaction on video! HEY! Everyone get down here and look at Hardison’s costume!” Eliot’s voice was filled with glee as he turned his phone on to film. 

Parker, Sophie, and Nate came running down the stairs. Parker stopped at the bottom and Nate and Sophie bumped into her. They all looked at Hardison at the same time and burst out laughing. Eliot was highly amused at the reactions. 

Years later Eliot would play the video just to get on Hardison’s nerves.


End file.
